Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-07-23
LIMITS OF HUMAN LIFE.
How 1t May He Prolonged Beyond the
Average L-ngfh-Ient-narians

have hefor. me the records uf no lr;.
than hfty-twO Centrnarlau~ the detail.
III regard To whom have been collected :.
a committee Of the British Medical a-~u'i
alton. Let Us see whether an inquiry in,
these details suggests anything either -
To what are, probably, the natural limits
Of human life. or ~ To- the regimen hy
which life may be prolonged beyond it,
average length
OF the tiftytwo no fewer than thirty
six more than tw0-thir,l~l are women
This may probably he attributed in lHree
part To the comparative immunity thE I
women enjoy from many risks To whiC'I
men are exposed. but probably il is due
not less 10 their greater Temperance AMI
to their freedom from the auNittirS and
heartburnngs which attend mem -trug-
giles for influence, and even maintenance.
Medical men contend. however, that
women also possess greater inherent vital
ity than men, the mortality Of girls being
less than that of boys, even during the
first year OF life, when the female is
neither more temperate nor less ambi-
tiOus than the male, and i rNpuSed To IA
many dangers.
OF the sixteen men one only was single;
ten of the thirty-siN wUmen We're single,
fifteen men and twenty six women. then
among the CentenarianS, were married.
but, naturally enough, of these forty one
a large number all i'll fact but five, We're
widowed Three of the fiftytwO We're
rich, nineteen poor. the rest in comfort
able circumstances. nine Were fat only
one man. twrnty-thr.e lean, eighteen
medium; only eight were full blooded. the
rest average or pale. Forty had good
digestion, which, after 100 years, means q
good deal MO>r Of the fifty two have had
good appetites, only two having appetites
Classed as actually bad. most of them have
been through life moderate eaters. twelve,
however, have eaten large quantities of
food. Only one is returned rs large
eater OF flesh and blood, and only one a. n
great consumer of alcoholic liquors din his
case the liquor preferred has been beer.
Only eight Of all the number are classified
rs simply irritable" hut to these must
be added five classed as Irritable and
energetic.
Unfortunately however. the inquiries
have not in such matters rs these le.a eN.
tended into the past A man or woman
may be- very irritable in extreme old
age land we may call 100 good old
age. even here when | am striving to-show
that il is the natural limit of life who has
been very placid and even extremely ami
able throughout the greater part of his oI
her career
As la smoking, thirty-twO are non
smoking. seventeen smoke much -four ui
them are women, thre. moderately, and
two little, only one chews. thirty seven
avoid snuff. Most Of the remaining re
turns. relating only to the actual coudi
tiun Of the tifty-two centenarians. AT pres
ent are of no special interest. showing
only that the same weaknesses prevail III
about the same degree among them. a
many men and women of the average
sort, between 20 and 80 Years old. II
only our nifty two centenariaIls could have
been examined twenty Years ago III these
respects the world might have obtained
some useful hints. 1t Is worthy of notice,
however, that most Of them were free
from rheumatic and gOuty troubles. Tia.
only man whose joints We're stiff anu
defOrmed from such causes stated, iu
reply To questions as To his capacity
and taste for strong drink, Il alway.
drank as much a | could and always
will'-nOt "A case, it will he observed. ui
'Willtul will To water so Willful must
wet" but OF Wiiiful would not to wat-r
and So wet his whistle To his own d>com
fort. Richard A. Proctor III The CUsmo
n.ltup